Container



May 25, 1943. F. L. MOORE 2,320,006

CONTAINER Filed April 29, 1940 25 26 FPA/vos ff- MOORE ATTORNEY Patented May 25, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE` CONTAINER Francis Lee Moore, Phoenix, Ariz.

Application April 29, 1940, Serial No. 332,310

7 Claims.

This invention relates to containers.

An object of this invention is to provide a container formed of separate compartments or cases interconnected by a Jacobs ladder construction, whereby the cases are in eiect hinged to each other at opposite ends, and may be opened from either end, whereby when the container is opened from one end, articles may be removed from one case, and when the container is opened up from the other end, articles may be removed from the other case.

A further object of this invention is to provide a compact and durable container of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate, and yet practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the invention, with parts broken away and in cross-section;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at right angles 'to the cross-section along which Fig. 2 is taken, and showing the cases opened about one end in full lines, and about the other end in dot, dash lines; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a blank from which the container can be made.

Fig. 5 is a modified form of tabs or straps with most of the blank broken away.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, I designates a container embodying the invention, made from the blank II, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The container I0 comprises a pair of similar cases Ilia and Iilb interconnected by a Jacobs ladder hinged construction IIic, as will appear in detail hereinafter.

The blank I I may be made of cardboard, paperboard or any other suitable sheet material. The same comprises a rectangular section I2 bounded by top, bottom and end crease lines i3, i4, I and i5. Said section I2 constitutes the bottom wall of case Ilia.

Extending from the crease line I5, is a section I8 constituting the end wall of case I0a. Extending from crease line I5, is a section I9, similar to section I8 and constituting the other end wall of case I0a. Extending from crease line I3, is a section 22, having a portion 23 extending to a greater depth than sections I8 and I5, and a cut-away portion 24 decreasing the depth of said section 22 below the depth of sections I8 and I9. Extending from crease line I4, is a section 25 having a portion 26 of greater depth than sections I8 and I8, and a cut-away portion 21 reducing the depth of said section 25 below the depth of sections I8 and I9.

Said portion 23 of section 22 is opposite cutaway portion 21 of section 25, and cut-away portion 24 of section 22 is opposite portion 26 of section 25. Thus, it will now be seen that the outer ends of sections 22 and 25 are of the same height or depth as sections I8 and I9, and that between said portions are serpentine or S-shaped edges, for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

Sections 22 and 25 constitute the side walls of case I0a, parts of said side walls extending above the top of the case, and parts extending below the top of the case.

Extending from section I8, is a tab or strap 30, formed with a hook 3I at its outer end. The length of strap 30 plus the length of strap 42, is somewhat greater than the length of section I2, for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

Extending from section I9 are two parallel spaced, similar sections 34, 35, each having the length of section I2. The space between sections 34 and 35 is somewhat Wider than strap 30. Extending Irom sections 34 and 35, is a section 35, similar to section I9 and constituting an end wall of case Ilib. Extending from section 36, is a section 38, similar to section I2 and constituting the bottom wall of case I0b. Extending from section 3B, is a section 39, similar to section 36 and constituting the other end wail of case I0b. Extending from said section 38, are sections 40 and 4I, similar and symmetrically disposed with respect to the sections 22 and 25 and constituting the side walls of case I0b.

Extending from section 39, is a strap portion 42, similar and symmetrically disposed with respect to strap 30 and formed with a hook 43 at its outer end.

It will be noted that section 38 is bounded by crease lines 64, 45, d6 and 4l at the top, bottom and sides thereof. It will also be noted that the interconnecting portions 34 and 35 are bounded at the ends thereof by crease lines 50 and 5I. The strap 30 is foldable about a crease line 52.

The side walls of sections 22 and 25 are folded upwardly about crease lines I3 and I4. Section I9 is folded up about crease line I5, and section I9 folded up about crease line I6. Strap 30 is then folded to a horizontal position about crease line 52. The portions 34 and 35 are then folded about crease lines 50 into the plane of the strap 39. Side walls 40 and 4I are folded downwardly about crease lines 44 and 45. Section 38 is folded downwardly about crease line 46. Section 39 is folded about crease line 41, and strap 42 is folded about crease line 53, and the hooks 3| and 43 are inter-engaged.

The cases may be lled with cigarettes or other articles. Then, with the cases Illa and Ib on top of one another, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, a strip of paper or other sheet material 60 is pasted all around the combined side walls of the two cases. The container is then ready to be shipped.

When the package is purchased, the container may be opened by cutting the strip of paper 60 along the edges between the side walls 22, 40 and 25, 4I, and along the meeting plane between sections I8 and 36 and between sections I9 and 39. When the strip of paper has thus been cut, the strip will'still interconnect the side walls I8, IS, 22 and 25 at the meeting corners thereof, and also the side walls 40, 4I,- 36 and 39 at the corners of the latter.

The container may then be opened either, as shown in full lines, by hinging the cases open about the ends of the sections or straps 34 and 35 which are adjacent section I9, or as shown in dot, dash lines in Fig. 3 of the drawing, about the ends of the sections or straps 34 and 35, adjacent section 36.

When the container is open, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3l cigarettes may be removed from the lower case Illa, as said cigarettes are only held down along a center line by the interconnected straps 30 and 42. When the container is opened about its other end, the cigarettes may be removed from the case I0b, as said cigarettes are then held down only by the interconnected straps 39 and 42.

If desired, the sheet 60 may be replaced by corner tabs extending from the sections I3, I9, 36 and 39, which may be pasted to the ends of sections 22, 25, 40 and 4I, to retain the side walls of the cases in upright position.

In Fig. 5, there is illustrated a modied construction which differs from the device I9 only in the length of the tabs or straps 30 and 42. In Fig. 4 the tabs or straps 30 and 42 are shown to be of equal length whereas in Fig. one of the tabs or straps designated by numeral 42a is longer than the other tab or strap designated by numeral 30a. The tabs or straps 30a and 42a interhook so that their combined length is similar to the combined length of the tabs or straps 30 and 42.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which ls well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to' secure by Letters Patent:

1. A container comprising a pair of cases disposed one on top of the other, with the open faces of the cases toward each other, a strap interconnecting one end of one case with the other end of the other case, and another strap connecting the two remaining case-ends, one of said straps being composed of a tab extending from an end of one case, a tab extending from an opposite end of another case, and said tabs having interconnected portions.

2. A container comprising a pair of cases disposed one on top of the other, with the open faces of the cases toward each other, a pair of spaced straps interconnecting one end of one case with the other end o'f the other case, and another strap connecting the two remaining case-ends, said other strap being composed of tabs extending from said remaining case ends respectively, and said tabs having interconnected portions, said tabs being disposed between said spaced straps.

3. A container comprising a pair of cases disposed one on top of the other, with the open faces of the cases toward each other, a pair of spaced straps interconnecting one end of one case with the other end of the other case, a pair of tabs extending from the remaining ends of said cases, respectively, said tabs having interconnected portions, said tabs being disposed between said spaced straps, two or more side walls of said cases having a portion extending above the open end of the case, and a cut-awayportion disposed below the open side of the case.

4. A container comprising a pair of superimposed cases, a strap interconnecting one end of one case with the other end of the other case, and a strap interconnecting the first end of the other case with the other end of the rst case, a pair of side walls of each of said cases being formed with cut-away portions and said pair of side walls of each case having portions projecting beyond the confines of said case and projecting into the cut outs of the pair of side walls of the other case.

5. A container comprising a pair of superimposed cases, a strap interconnecting one end of one case with the other end of the other case, a strap interconnecting the first end of the other case with the other end of the i'lrst case, a pair of side walls of each of said cases being formed with cut-away portions and said pair of side walls of each case having portions projecting beyond the confines of said case and projecting into the cut outs of the pair of side walls of the other case, and a strip of paper pasted around the side and end walls of said cases.

6. A blank for a container having two interconnected case portions comprising a rectangular section bounded by top, bottom and end crease lines, and constituting the bottom wall of one o1' said cases, and sections extending from the end crease lines constituting end walls for the case. sections extending from the top and bottom crease lines constituting side walls for the case, a second rectangular section, similar to the first rectangular section, bounded by top, bottom and end crease lines, and constituting the bottom wall for the second case, sections extending from the end crease lines of the second bottom section, constituting end walls for the second case, sections extending from the top and bottom crease lines of the second bottom section, and constituting side walls for the second case, a pair of parallel spaced sections interconnecting a section which constitutes one of the end walls of the irst case with an end section which constitutes an end wall of the second case, and straps extending from the other end sections of said case, and being disposed between said spaced strap sections, and having oppositely extending hooks.

7. A blank for a container having two interconnected case portions comprising a rectangular section bounded by top, bottom and end crease lines, and constituting the bottom wall of one of said cases, and sections extending from the end crease lines constituting end walls for the case, sections extending from the top and bottom crease lines constituting side walls for the case, a second rectangular section, similar to the first rectangular section, bounded by top, bottom and Cil end crease lines, and constituting the bottom wall for the second case, sections extending from the end crease lines of the second bottom section, constituting end walls for the second case, sections extending from the top and bottom crease lines of the second bottom section, and constituting side walls for the second case, a pair of paraliel spaced sections interconnecting a section which constitutes one of the end walls of the rst case with an end section which constitutes an end wall of the second case, and straps extending from the other end sections of said case, and being disposed between said spaced strap sections, and having oppositely extending hooks, each of the sections which constitutes the side walls of the two cases having a sinuous shaped edge.

FRANCIS LEE MOORE. 

